Don’t Let Online Holiday Shopping Make You a Target for Thieves

November 20, 2017

With nearly half of holiday shopping now being done online, many of us will soon have packages piling up on our doorsteps.

While shopping online is convenient, having your packages stolen is not. Each year, nearly 23 million people have packages stolen. Here are some tips to help make sure that your holiday packages stay delivered to your doorstep.

Use a package locker – Do a lot of shopping on Amazon.com? You can now have your packages delivered to a secure locker near you. You simply punch in a unique code into the locker to retrieve your packages. See if there is an Amazon Locker near you. If you shop more sites than Amazon.com, you can also check into the availability of lockers at nearby UPS and convenience stores.

Have packages delivered to you at work – Avoid leaving packages sitting on your doorstep all day long. Having your packages delivered to work can significantly cut down on potential theft, plus there is usually someone around to sign for the packages.

Require signature on delivery – Another way to cut down on package theft is to require that all deliveries require a signature. That way, no packages can be left unattended. If a shipping company fails to follow the signing protocol, then they are liable to legal action and you can get a full refund or replacement. The United State Postal Service (USPS), UPS and FedEx offer various signature option services.

Install a security camera at your front door – Not only is it a deterrent to potential package thieves, it can help identify the thieves and prove that you have been the victim of package theft. With today’s security technology, many systems allow you to monitor your doorstep from your mobile phone.

Reschedule or reroute delivery – If you aren’t sure you will be home when a package arrives, schedule it to arrive to wherever you are or a time when you know you will be home. For a fee, both UPS and FedEx offer services that allow you to do this. Check out UPS My Choice and FedEx Delivery Manager.

Hold delivery of your packages – If you know you will be out of town, both USPS and FedEx will hold your packages for a period of time for no extra charge. UPS, however, will charge you $5 for every package you reschedule.

Insure your packages – By adding insurance to your shipping, you will automatically be reimbursed if your package goes missing in action. All three delivery services have insurance options you can add during purchase. Both UPS and FedEx are automatically insured up to $100 of declared package value. Above that amount, you have to pay for additional insurance. For USPS, automatic insurance amounts and additional insurance fees depend on the shipping service selected.